US cancels G20 foreign ministers' group photo over Lavrov dispute

Organizers of the G20 foreign ministers’ summit in Atlanta abruptly canceled the customary group photograph after several delegates declined to stand alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Bloomberg reported. While the photo is merely symbolic, it symbolizes unity among global leaders, Bloomberg explained. According to an unnamed official, the decision to omit the photo aimed to prevent a diplomatic incident and maintain focus on the summit’s agenda.

Similar incidents occurred during the G20 finance ministers’ summit in early September when some participants also opted out of posing with Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov; the photos were eventually captured without him. The foreign ministers’ summit is currently underway in Atlanta from October 30 to 31, preceding the G20 leaders’ summit in Miami in mid-December.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been extended an invitation, though the Kremlin has not yet affirmed his presence. Russia’s finance minister participated in the G20 summit for the first time since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but what did he leave with? Scott Bessent interviewed Russia’s finance minister, who then commented that Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities were contributing to a global “energy shock.”

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